Caster



H. ILL.

GASTER.

` (No Modell) Patented Feb. 9, 1897. l

"WENTOR:` HNHY LLL,

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WITNESSES:

ATTO EY NirED STATES HENRY ILL, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

CASTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,675, dated February 9, 1897. Application filed November 17, 1896. Serial No. 612,435. (No model.)

To M ZIJ/tom 7215 i12/ay concern:

Beit known that I, HENRY ILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casters; and I do hereby declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying dra-wings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention has reference to improvements in casters, and has for its primary object to provide an inexpensive and simple construction of caster-socket adapted for use in the tubular posts or supports of iron or other like furniture.

The invention therefore consists in the novel construction of caster hereinafter set forth, comprising a caster-socket, a disk having spring-tongues adapted to hold the socket by frictional engagement in the tubular support of the piece of furniture, and a centering or guiding disk movably arranged on the socket, said parts being arranged in the inanner and for the purposes to be hereinafter fully specified.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a side elevation of a caster made according to my present invention, illustrating the same in position in a tubular support of a piece of furniture, said support being represented in vertical section. Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal.cross-sections taken on lines x and y, respectively, in Fig. l. Fig. L.lis a bottom view of the caster-socket, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the same. Fig. 6 is a view similar to that represented in Fig. 1, illustratin g the relative positions of the disk provided with the spring-tongues and the centering-disk when the socket is about to be forced into its operative position in the end of the tubular support of the piece of furniture. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the disk provided with the spring-tongues.

Similar letters of reference are employed in all of the above-described views to indicate corresponding parts.

In said views, d indicates the usual forni of caster-frame provided with the downwardlyextending brackets or horns a, which are perforated to receive a pin b, on which is rotatively arranged the usual form of roller or wheel b', as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.

On the top plate a2, connecting the two brackets or horns c', is an upwardly-extending post or pintle c, provided with the known form o f washer c' and a collar c2. The upper end of said post or pintle c is provided with a saw-cut or slot cS and two oppositely-arran ged portions c4, formed with suitable enlargements c5, for the purposes to be more fully set forth hereinafter.

The caster-socket comprises therein a tubular shank d, which is provided at the top with a slightly-turned-over ed-ge d and suitable indentations d2 therein to securely hold a disk e in a fixed position upon the top of said shank, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5. Said disk e, which is made from sheet metal, is formed with an upwardly and then downwardly extending edge portion e', having any desirable n umber of cut-away portions or slots c2 to form the spring-tongues e3, substantially as shown. The lower endof said shank d has its edge ds turned over to form a bead, and movably arranged on said shank, between said bead and the disk e, is a washer or disk f, provided with the upwardly-curved projection f and a flat part f2 surrounding the same, substantially as illustrated in the several figures of the drawings.

The maximum diameter of the disk e is normally slightly greater than the inner diameter'of the tubular post or support g of the piece of furniture, whereby when said disk e is forced into said support or post the springtongues es will become slightly depressed and will firmly grip the inner cylindrical surface of the said support or post g and hold the socketed shank cl by friction in its operative position therein. To insert these parts into the support or post g, the washer or disk f is slipped upon said shank d against the under side of the disk e and the parts forced into the hollow post or support g, as indicated in Fig. 6. The upwardly-curved projection f on said washer or disk f being of the same diameter as the inner diameter 0f the tube g, the surrounding iiat part f2 will be caused to firmly bear against the surrounding edge g IOO of the tubular support g, and in driving the shank and its disk e up into said support said washerf will act as a guide to cause the central arrangement of the shank and disk e in said tubular support g, and hence Will preventl the jamming of the said parts in the said hollow post or support g and will prevent the inoperative arrangement of said parts therein, and the pintle or post c in said socket or shank CZ Will be perfectly centered and rotatively arranged therein. IVhen the said pintle or post c is forced into said tubular shank d, the portions c4 are compressed as they slide through said shank and Will open out as soon as they have passed the upper edge of the shank d, the enlargements c5 on said portions c4 becoming arranged above the upper edge d of the shank, which secures the post or pintle c in its operative and rotative position in the said hollow shank cl, as will be clearly understood from an inspection of Fig. 1. The collar a2 on said post or pintle c is rotatively arranged again st the lower edge (Z3 of the shank d.

The operation of the device will be apparent. From an inspectionof Fig. 1 it Will be evident that the caster and its post or pintle can be readily Withdrawn from the hollow socket d when desired by a sudden pull on the Wheel or roller h and the caster-frame c1.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is- 1. In a castel', the combination, with a tubular shank, of a Washer or disk, as f, mov ably arranged thereon, said Washer or disk having an upwardly-extending projection f', and a disk on the upper end of said shank, having spring-tongues, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a caster, the combination, with a tubular shank, of a washer or disk, as f, movably arranged thereon, said Washer or disk having an upwardly-extending projection f', and a disk on the upper end of said shank, having an upwardly and downwardly extending edge e provided with cut-away portions c2, and spring-tongues e3, substan tiall y as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In a caster, the combination, with a tubular shank d havinga bead d, of awasher or disk f, having an upwardly-extendin g projection f and the surrounding flat part f2, and a diskon'the upper end of said shank, having an upwardly and downwardly extending edge e provided with cut-away portions e2, and spring/tongues e3, substan tia-lly as au d for the purposes set-forth.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of November, 1896.

HENRY ILL.

lVitnesses:

FREDK C. FRAENTZEL, IVM. II. CAMFIELD, Jr; 

